The invention relates to a valve means which comprises at least one valve, whose valve housing is longitudinally divided and is composed of several, and preferably two, housing bodies which are placed alongside one another in a parting region.
A valve means of this type is described for example in the European patent publication 0 643 811 B1. In this instance it comprises a valve with a two-part valve housing, which in the parting region is provided with cavities, which are formed by complementary recesses in the two housing bodies on each side. The cavities in part constitute valve ducts and are in part fitted with functional elements, which include a valve member and a valve drive serving for the operation thereof.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,846 discloses a valve means, which comprises a plurality of valves collected together in the form of a battery and which can be designed as suggested in the said European patent publication 0 643 811 B1.
In the case of a valve means disclosed in the German patent publication 4,324,939 A1 there is also a longitudinally divided valve housing structure. For actuation of the valve member two valve drives are employed, which however are designed as separate units and are externally mounted on the valve housing.
One object of the invention is to provide a valve means which is easy to assemble and mount but at the same time is compact.
In order to achieve these and/or other objects appearing from the present specification, claims and drawings, in the present invention a valve means comprises at least one valve, whose housing is longitudinally divided and comprises housing bodies arranged together alongside one another in a parting region, cavities in the parting region being defined by mutually complementary recesses in the housing bodies placed against each other, which cavities in part form valve ducts and in part being fitted with functional elements, such functional elements including at least one valve member and at least two electrically operable valve drives serving for the operation thereof.
The invention thus provides a valve means which comprises one or more valves, whose valve housings possess a plurality of housing bodies placed together in a parting region alongside one another which are firmly connected together by ultrasonic welding, by bonding or by some other connecting method. The cavities constituting the valve ducts and also serving for receiving the functional elements may be extremely simply produced by providing the housing bodies prior to fitting together with recesses on their joint face in the parting region, which recesses complement each other to form cavities in the assembled state of the housing bodies. The functional elements, like other necessary components of the valve as well, may consequently be inserted, in the course of assembly, extremely simply prior to putting the housing bodies together, in the recesses of the one housing body. In this respect at least one valve member is provided, which has two electrically operable drives for actuation, such drives also being accommodated in cavities in the valve housing so that external attachment is unnecessary. Because the recesses constituting the cavities may be produced extremely simply, it is possible to provide the best possible compact distribution of the valve member or members and of the valve drives in the parting region so that all essential components are accommodated in minimum space.
Further advantageous developments of the invention are defined in the claims.
It is preferred for the valve housing to have two tabular housing bodies placed against one another so that an extremely narrow design may be adopted.
In the case of the valve drives it is more particularly preferred to have structures, which have one or more solenoids or piezo-actuators. Using such valve drives it becomes possible, if required, to provide for direct actuation of the associated member. It is an advantage however to provide for a pilot operation of the valve, for which purpose the valve drives can be at least in part in the form of solenoid valves or of piezo-actuated valves.
Using a single valve member and two valve drives associated with such valve member it is readily possible to provide a 5/2 valve or a 5/3 valve. Preferably, the valve structure will be a pulse valve.
A particularly advantageous form of design has been found to be one with such a design of the valve housing that the parting region possesses a rectangular outline, the configuration preferably being elongated, it being possible for the corner regions to be rounded off. In any case with such a design it is an advantage for the two valve drives to be placed at two diagonally opposite corner regions of the parting region on either side of the associated valve, which for its part is on the other diagonal and preferably is orientated in the longitudinal direction thereof.
A plurality of valves can be collected together as a battery-like valve unit and associated with a fluid distributor and a signal distributor in order to render possible simple supply of pressure medium and electrical operating signals. The valves may be mounted on the fluid distributor and/or the signal distributor. Preferably, the fluid distributor and the signal distributor are collected together in a common distributor unit. In all cases it is convenient to provide the respective distributor with a longitudinally divided housing, the necessary fluid ducts and/or electrical lines extending in the parting region.
Further advantageous developments and convenient forms of the invention will be understood from the following detailed descriptive disclosure of one embodiment thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.